Smart, Kane listed among Collegebasketballtalk.com’s Top 5 players

But several of the conference’s top players are among the best in the nation this season.

Oklahoma State guard Marcus Smart and Iowa State guard Deandre Kane are listed third and fourth, respectively, in this week’s listing of the nation’s top players by College Basketball Talk.com.

Here’s what CBT’s Rob Dauster had to say about both of them:

3. Marcus Smart, Oklahoma State: Smart can dominate a game in so many different ways, but what I’ve been most impressed with has been his ability to rebound the ball now that Michael Cobbins is out. In the five games since then, Smart is averaging 9.6 rebounds. If only he could learn to shoot the ball consistently.

4. Deandre Kane, Iowa State: Some of the hype surrounding Deandre Kane has dissipated in the last week as the Cyclone’s star guard has dealt with a sprained ankle and the Cyclones have suffered through three straight losses. The biggest concern? 22 turnovers the last four games.

Creighton’s Doug McDermott and Connecticut’s Shabazz Napier were listed in front of the Big 12 duo. Both could soar into contention for the nation’s top player with a fast finish.

Kansas freshman center Joel Embiid is listed as 10th. And Kansas guard/forward Andrew Wiggins is among other players who are receiving mention for the award.